Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says they're at their best when Anthony Martial is on the pitch.

Martial has missed a combined 14 weeks of the season through four separate injuries and is yet to complete 90 minutes.

The 27-year-old has been already ruled out of United's League Cup semi-final first leg tie with Nottingham Forest, the 18th game out of 31 he will be absent from.

"He is not constantly injured, he is playing games," Ten Hag said. "He has to work on that. On that fact, I agree. He has to be more available and he can't do nothing for it in that sense and sometimes it's also bad luck.

"But sometimes you don't know what the reason behind it is. But when he is there, he is really important for us because we play our best football when he is available. He has to be aware of that as well. So if we want to be successful, we need him First thing is, he has to be available."

When it was suggested Martial lacked the mentality to constantly make himself available, Ten Hag replied: "I don't want to set that conclusion. What I said: no one is the same.

"I can't see and I can't point what it is because if I had I would work on that process to get it turned around."